Lepidotrigona thenzawlensis Viraktamath and Rojeet, 2022

Viraktamath, Shashidhar & Thangjam, Rojeet, 2022, Description of four new species of Lepidotrigona (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) from north-east India, Zootaxa 5175 (1), pp. 1-30 : 2-10

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5175.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:396127FC-097F-42F6-BDB3-18CAF3FDD9AD
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7007214
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC8780-FFB7-9846-FF50-F9A9FA95C267
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Lepidotrigona thenzawlensis Viraktamath and Rojeet
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lepidotrigona thenzawlensis Viraktamath and Rojeet sp. n.

( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 , 3 View FIGURE 3 , 4 View FIGURE 4 : a s4–s6, 5: a1–a3, 6 a, b)

Diagnosis. Lepidotrigona thenzawlensis is a member of the ventralis species group with male and female bees measuring a mean of 5.18 and 4.79 mm long with forewing length of 4.66 and 4.52 mm, respectively ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ). The species can be distinguished from L. rajithae sp. n., L. amruthae sp. n. and L. sikkimensis sp. n. by the following characters: In male bees, gradulus of sternum 4 does not touch antecosta in L. thenzawlensis ( Fig. 4a View FIGURE 4 s-4) (touches briefly in L. rajithae ( Fig. 4 b View FIGURE 4 s-4) and L. sikkimensis ( Fig. 4 d View FIGURE 4 s-4), does not touch in L. amruthae ( Fig. 4 c View FIGURE 4 s-4); apical margin with a distinct emargination medially whereas, it is weakly emarginate in L. rajithae , produced into a broad lobe in L. amruthae ; gently convex in L. sikkimensis ; gradulus of sternum 5 touches antecosta extensively in L. thenzawlensis ( Fig. 4 a View FIGURE 4 s-5), (touches briefly in L. rajithae (4 b s-5) and L. amruthae ( Fig. 4 c View FIGURE 4 s-5), touches extensively in L. sikkimensis ( Fig. 4 d View FIGURE 4 s-5)); distance between two apicosubmedian lobes is very short in L. thenzawlensis (0.15 mm) and L. rajithae (0.18 mm) but great in L. amruthae (0.29 mm) and L. sikkimensis (0.31 mm); apicolateral lobes longer than wide in L. thenzawlensis , L. rajithae and L. sikkimensis but as long as wide in L. amruthae . Antecosta in sternum 6 is weakly bisinuate in L. thenzawlensis ( Fig 4 a View FIGURE 4 s-6), straight in L. rajithae ( Fig. 4 b View FIGURE 4 s-6), weakly convex in L. amruthae ( Fig.4c View FIGURE 4 s-6) and L. sikkimensis ( Fig. 4 d View FIGURE 4 s-6); the apicomedial lobe 0.29 mm long, broadly pointed in L. thenzawlensis compared to L. rajithae (0.32 mm long, bluntly rounded), L. amruthae (0.33 mm long, acutely pointed) and L. sikkimensis (0.35 mm long, acutely pointed), the apodemal lobes widely separated in L. thenzawlensis moderately separated in L. rajithae , L. amruthae and L. sikkimensis ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 a-d s-6). The penis valve is shorter in L. thenzawlensis (0.62 mm), moderately long in L. rajithae (0.80 mm) and very long in L. amruthae (0.87 mm) and L. sikkimensis (0.89 mm) ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ).

Males of L. thenzawlensis also differ from other members of the ventralis species group namely L. flavibasis (Cockerell) , L. satun Attasopa and Banziger , L. doipaensis (Schwarz) and L. ventralis in the following characters. Mesoscuta of L. thenzawlensis , L. flavibasis . and L. doipaensis are not bordered by scale like hairs but bordered in L. satun ; in sternum 4, the apicomedial margin in L. thenzawlensis is with a distinct emargination while angularly emarginated in L. satun , slightly concave in L. doipaensis and convex in L. flavibasis , distinctly convex in L. ventralis ; apicosubmedian lobes of sternum 5 slender and pointed in L. thenzawlensis while they are rounded in L. satun , slender and pointed in L. flavibasis , L. doipaensis and triangular and pointed in L. ventralis ; gonostylus in L. thenzawlensis is shorter (0.82 mm) than that of L. flavibasis (0.91 to 0.96 mm) and L. ventralis (1.25 mm) longer than in L. satun (0.75–0.78 mm), L. doipaensis (0.67-0.71 mm);gonostylus expanded apically in all the species of ventralis group except L. ventralis ; spinulation in the apical expanded part of gonostylus gradually becomes denser towards apex in L. thenzawlensis , L. rajithae , L. amruthae and L. sikkimensis and L. satun while it is equally dense throughout the expanded part in L. flavibasis and L. doipaensis .

Female bees of L. thenzawlensis differ from L. rajithae , L. amruthae , L. sikkimensis and L. arcifera , in the following respects. Mesoscutum of L. thenzawlensis is not bordered by scale-like plumose hairs but bordered in L. rajithae , L. amruthae and L. sikkimensis and L. arcifera ( Figs. 2 b View FIGURE 2 , 8 b View FIGURE 8 , 11 b View FIGURE 11 , 14 b View FIGURE 14 ); wings in all these new species with blackish brown tinge compared to clear and iridescent wings in L. arcifera ; metasomal first tergum black and no semi-circular band in L. thenzawlensis while in L. rajithae , L. amruthae , L. sikkimensis , and L. arcifera the tergum is light yellow or brown with light or dark brown or black semi-circular band, while in L. ventralis a dark spot on each side of pale tergum ( Sakagami 1975); malar space length is greater in L. thenzawlensis (0.15 mm) as against 0.12, 0.10, 0.10 and 0.13 mm in L. rajithae , L. amruthae , L. sikkimensis and L. arcifera , respectively; ratio of interocellar to ocellocular distance, scape length to eye length, hind tibial length to forewing diagonal length and hind basitarsus width to hind tibial width are greater in all these four new species than those in L. arcifera ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ).

Description

Males

Coloration. Head, mesosoma and metasoma light brown to black; labrum reddish-brown; clypeus black; scape black except the basal bulb reddish-brown; pedicel, flagellomeres dark reddish-brown; ocelli transparent, shiny, light brown to reddish-brown; compound eyes black ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 a-c). Tegula, pterostigma, veins dark brown; legs light brown to reddish-brown, tarsi and hind tibia light brown. Mesoscutum with three very narrow, shiny longitudinal stripes arising from the anteromedial margin, extending up to the middle of mesoscutum. Metasomal terga dark reddish-brown approaching to black; tergum 1 black without any band ( Fig. 1 b View FIGURE 1 ); sterna light brown with dark reddish-brown patches.

Pilosity. Labrum, apical margin of clypeus fringed with long plumose white hairs; basal part of clypeus, face with white, short plumose hairs ( Fig. 1 c View FIGURE 1 ); vertex with grey erect hairs; post genal margin fringed with long white hairs ( Fig. 1 a View FIGURE 1 ). Mesoscutum without border of plumose scale-like hairs; integument with short greyish hairs; mesoscutellum fringed with short pale hairs; all legs with short white hairs; anterior and posterior margins, upper surface of the hind tibia with similar short white hairs. Pronotal lobe, mesepisternum and metepisternum with yellowishwhite long plumose hairs, the density and length of hairs increasing on the lower parts; the anterolateral surface of propodeum with thick white short plumose hairs ( Fig. 1 a View FIGURE 1 ). Metasomal terga and sterna shiny, with white fine hairs, the density and length of hairs progressively increasing towards the terminal segments and medial regions of the sterna.

Morphometry. Mean body length 5.18 mm, head width including compound eyes 1.83 mm ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ); head length 1.26 mm; eye 1.22 mm long 0.51 mm wide; upper interocular distance 3.09× greater than interocellar distance (0.35 mm); median ocellus 19× greater than malar space length (0.01 mm); scape 3.60× longer than its width (0.15 mm); mandible 0.44 mm long, 0.22 mm wide; forewing 4.66 mm long 1.63 mm wide; forewing diagonal length 1.33 mm; hind tibia 2.75× longer than its width (0.55 mm) while the hind basitarsus 1.79× longer than its width (0.38 mm).

The ratio of head length to width 0.69; scape length to eye length 0.44; forewing length to width 2.86; hind tibial length to head width 0.83; hind basitarsus width to hind tibial width 0.69 ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ).

Metasomal sterna and genitalia. The following description is based on dissection of five males. Gradulus of sternum 4 transverse medially and not in touch with antecosta ( Fig. 3 a View FIGURE 3 ); apico-medial margin with a distinct emargination, weakly angulate on both lateral sides. Gradulus of sternum 5 in touch with antecosta extensively; apical margin with two sub-median and two lateral lobes ( Fig. 3 b View FIGURE 3 ); sub-median lobes longer (0.31 mm), slender, pointed, terminating into 2–3 short spine-like structures; both lobes separated by 0.15 mm distance with a deep inverted U-shaped emargination; apicolateral lobes longer than wide (0.15 mm long, 0.07 mm wide), pointed, separated from sub-median lobe by a shallow inverted U-shaped emargination. Antecosta of sternum 6 weakly bisinuate in the middle with 0.29 mm long, triangular, broadly pointed apicomedian lobe. Apodemal lobes widely separated from each other ( Fig. 3 c View FIGURE 3 ).

Genitalia reddish-brown, asymmetrical (except gonostyli) with well sclerotized gonocoxae and penis valves while only basal 1/3 rd of gonostyli sclerotized ( Fig. 3 d, e View FIGURE 3 ); left gonocoxa larger (0.23 mm long, 0.45 mm wide) than the right gonocoxa (0.23 mm long, 0.39 mm wide); penis valves dark reddish-brown; each penis valve 0.62 mm long, 0.32 mm wide at the base; terminal half of penis valve sharply curved laterally at a right angle and later narrowing terminally with a bluntly pointed apex; curvature of both penis valves asymmetrical, sometimes overlapping on each other. Each gonostylus arises laterally with a delicate attachment to the gonocoxa; 0.82 mm long, slender and tubular; sinuate at about the mid-length; 0.04 mm wide at the base, then widening to 0.06 mm in the middle and later slightly widening to 0.08 mm at the apical 1/4 th; series of short and long setae arise from the medial and lateral surface of terminal expanded part with higher density near the apex ( Fig. 3 e View FIGURE 3 ).

Females

Coloration. Head, mesosoma, metasoma black ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 a-c). Labrum, clypeus, compound eyes black. Scape, pedicel, flagellomeres black except basal bulb of scape reddish-brown ( Fig. 2 c View FIGURE 2 ). Tegula black; wings with brownish-black tinge; pterostigma, veins dark brown; all the legs black except tarsi lighter. Mesoscutum with three very narrow, shiny longitudinal stripes arising from the anteromedial margin, extending up to the middle of mesoscutum. Metasomal terga and sterna black with inter-segmental lines light brown; tergum 1 black without any semi-circular band ( Fig. 2 b View FIGURE 2 ). In some females, the depressed area of propodeum reddish- brown.

Pilosity. Labrum fringed with short intermixed with long white hairs; clypeus, face, gena, post-gena, lower part of occiput clothed with short white hairs; vertex with brownish short erect hairs ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 a-c). Mesoscutum without a border of scale-like plumose hairs; mesoscutellum fringed with yellowish mixed with reddish-brown hairs ( Fig. 2 b View FIGURE 2 ). Pronotal lobe, anterior upper part of mesepisternum, metepisternum, anterolateral areas of propodeum with thick felt of white plumose hairs obscuring underlying integument; lower part of mesepisternum covered with long white hairs ( Fig. 2 a View FIGURE 2 ). Anterior and posterior margins of hind tibia fringed with dark brown intermixed with pale hairs; upper surface shiny and bare. Basal margin of terga of metasoma with a transverse row of short white hairs; terminal terga fringed with long white hairs; sterna with long white hairs with high density on the medial region and terminal sterna.

Morphometry. Female paratypes measure a mean of 4.79 mm in body length and 1.90 mm in head width ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ). Head length, eye length, malar space length 1.35, 1.16, 0.15 mm, respectively; upper interocular distance 1.24 mm; interocellar distance 1.17× greater than ocellocular distance (0.30 mm); mandible 0.75 mm long, 0.28 mm wide; forewing 2.86× longer than its width (1.58 mm); wing diagonal length 1.35 mm; hind tibial length 2.23× longer than the hind basitarsus length (0.70 mm); hind tibial width 1.45× greater than hind basitarsus width (0.40 mm)

The ratio of head length to width 0.71 ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ); interocellar to ocellocular distance 1.17; scape length to eye length 0.61; forewing length to width 2.76; hind tibial length to head width 0.80; hind tibial length to forewing diagonal length 1.12; hind basitarsus width to hind tibial width 0.68.

Nest. A colony of this species was found in the tree trunk. The entrance tube was 1.5 cm long, soft, brownish, with a wide opening of 1.10 cm. The brood cells were arranged in a single thick multi-layered comb ( Fig. 6 a, b View FIGURE 6 ).

Materials examined. Holotype: Male: Mizoram: Thenzawl (23.2808° N, 92.7741° E, Altitude 783 m. a.s.l.), 20.x.2020, leg. Rojeet T. deposited at UASB GoogleMaps . Paratypes: Eight males, 30 females with the same collection data deposited at UASB GoogleMaps ; one female paratype will be deposited at ZSIK .

Etymology. This species is named after the place Thenzawl from where the samples were collected.